An Amsterdam buyer paid $15,000 for a painting in 2021; two years later, experts identified it as a Rembrandt and it sold for £10.9 million at auction

A painting can sometimes change dramatically in value when new research discloses more about its history and creator. That happened withThe Adoration of the Kings, a small painting that was once attributed to someone in Rembrandt’s circle but was later found by experts as an authentic work by the Dutch master.

A $15,000 Painting With a Hidden History

In 2021, the 9.6- by 7.3-inch painting was attributed to a close associate of Rembrandt and amount between €10,000 and €15,000, or about $10,600 to 15,800

The dark, almost monochromatic painting features the biblical Adoration of the Kings, showing three wise men presenting gifts to the newborn Jesus. At the time of its 2021 sale, the work was sold by Christie’s.

Experts Reconsider the Painting’s Authorship

After the purchase, the new owner contacted Sotheby’s to investigate the painting’s history and possible origins. In an 18-month period, specialists analyzed the work using infrared and X-ray imaging and consulted scholars. Their research eventually resulted to conclude that the painting was by Rembrandt himself.

George Gordon, Sotheby’s co-chairman of old master paintings, led the research. He pointed to characteristics linked with Rembrandt’s early paintings, that includes “strange, glum faces and limbs painted in a single brushstroke.”

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The Painting’s Long Journey Through Art History

As per CNN’s Lianne Kolirin, its earliest known reference is an inventory from 1714 belonging to an Amsterdam collector. The work changed hands many times in the early 1800s before vanishing from documented records.

It reappeared in the 1950s after Dutch collector Johannes Carel Hendrik Heldring acquired it. At that point, prominent art historians regarded it as an early Rembrandt.

A Modest Estimate Leads to a Huge Sale

Christie’s sold the work again in 2021. Although its amount was only €10,000 to €15,000, the possibility that it might actually be a Rembrandt attracted major interest.

The painting gradually sold for €860,000 ($908,000), over 50 times its original estimate.

18 Months of Research Reveal a Rembrandt

After the 2021 sale, the buyer approached Sotheby’s to learn more about the painting’s origins. For 18 months, experts studied the work using infrared and X-ray imaging while also consulting scholars.

The research finally led the experts to identify The Adoration of the Kings as a work by Rembrandt.

Gordon Highlights Rembrandt’s Style

Sotheby’s also emphasized the significance of the painting’s physical evidence. Gordon said, “This sophisticated painting is in equal measure a product of Rembrandt’s brush and his intellect,”

The research transformed the understanding of the small painting. Once attributed to someone within Rembrandt’s circle, The Adoration of the Kings was finally identified as a work by Rembrandt himself.


Source: Smithsonian Magazine